Peer Support Network

A call taker will answer the phone when the Peer Support line is contacted, basic information will be obtained, and an on-call Peer Supporter will be assigned to contact you as quickly as possible. When requesting peer support:

• You may remain anonymous
• Limited information is collected to connect you with support - call back number, location and immediate safety concerns
• An on-call Peer Supporter will contact you at the phone number provided (please make sure you are able to accept phone calls from unknown phone numbers)

If there is an immediate risk of harm (active suicidal or homicidal thoughts with a plan), your exact location will be requested so that emergency services can be engaged to ensure your safety. A Peer Supporter will connect with you as well to serve as a liaison between you and emergency services and to ensure you get the help that you need.

• Respond in a timely manner
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism
• Provide emotional support, education and peer connection
• Document only basic, non-clinical, non-diagnostic and non-identifiable information
• Refer to higher levels of care when appropriate

To support the process, limited, non clinical and non identifiable information is documented once a Peer Supporter has completed a contact:

• Method of request
• Whether contact was made
• Date, time and type of contact made
• Approximate length of interaction
• General areas of concern (e.g. work related stress, critical incidents, family concerns)
• Outcome of support, including if referrals were made or resources provided

Information collected is:

• Non-clinical, Peer Supporters are not a replacement for healthcare providers
• Non-identifiable, remaining anonymous is an option
• Not used for disciplinary purposes
• Securely stored with restricted access

Limits of Confidentiality— Confidentiality may be broken only in the following dangerous situations:

• Immediate risk of harm to self or others, including a plan to act - 911 will be contacted
• Reasonable suspicion of elder/child abuse or neglect - must be reported to the Texas abuse hotline/website
• Only the minimum necessary information will be shared to meet the requirements above.

Reports of substance use to a Peer Supporter will not be disclosed. The Peer Supporter will be required to refer the individual to a designated higher level of care if the substance use is determined to be dangerous to self or others or illegal in nature.

All information is stored in a secure, access controlled system (Smart Sheet) and contains only non-clinical and non-diagnostic information. All access is strictly limited:

• The individual call taker who creates the record can only view the intake information they collected.
• The assigned Peer Supporter can only access the record for documentation purposes. If a different Peer Supporter is assigned, the original Peer Supporter will lose access to the record. Once the record is closed, the Peer Supporter no longer has access.
• The TDEM Statewide Peer Support Network Division Chief is the only individual with access to all records for program oversight. The Smart Sheet Administrator has access to all records to promote platform functionality and ongoing system improvements.

No additional leadership or staff have access to peer support records and all individuals with any level of access to records have signed individual confidentiality agreements. Peer Support records are protected and not subject to public information requests under applicable state law (House Bill 35).

This is a frequent question when in conversations surrounding Peer Support.

CISM, or Critical Incident Stress Management, is an intervention protocol developed specifically for dealing with critical incidents/traumatic events. CISM is a formal, highly structured, and professionally recognized process for helping individuals involved in a critical incident/traumatic event to share their experiences, vent emotions and learn about stress reactions in a group, debriefing type setting.

Peer Support is a more relaxed, one-on-one interaction that can focus on any stressor that the individual would like to discuss. These stressors can be work or personal life related, and not specific to one incident. The Peer Supporter provides an empathetic response, most likely having had shared experiences themselves of common stressors that individuals want to discuss.

Peer Supporters are First Responders or Retired First Responders who have been formally trained in:

• Effective communication and active listening
• Suicide risk identification, prevention and safety planning
• Traumatic stress management and coping techniques
• Legal and ethical considerations, including recognizing limitations
• Referral pathways to additional resources such as behavioral health professionals, chaplain groups, or other supportive options.
• HIPAA and privacy related concerns

We are always looking for trained Peer Supporters who are interested in volunteering their time to support other First Responders in their times of need.

Ideal candidate qualifications include:

• Experience or background as a first responder
• Genuine interest in peer support and volunteering time to help others
• Comfortable having a conversation with others, is considered approachable
• Well respected by peers and supervisors
• Emotionally stable, self-aware, and manages stress well
• Available to respond to peer support requests, which could include requests outside of "normal business hours"

To apply to become a Statewide Network Peer Supporter, you should complete the following steps:

• Complete Peer Support training (for more information, see the "What training do Peer Supporters have?" section)
• Submit an application and upload proof of training
• Complete and return the Statewide Peer Support Network Confidentiality Agreement (this will be provided to you once your application is reviewed).
• Attend regularly scheduled meetings and trainings as required through the Network.

Individuals with backgrounds in Law Enforcement, Communications and Corrections that want to be Peer Supporters can participate in the Statewide Peer Support Network but will also be referred to participate in the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network. The Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network was established by Senate Bill 64 during the 87th Legislative Session and works closely with the Statewide Peer Support Network. More information on the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network can be found online here.